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Tag: protest

  • Celebs wear black to protest sexual harassment at Golden Globes

    Celebs wear black to protest sexual harassment at Golden Globes

    With the ongoing reports on sexual harassment, which have had many popular faces emerged to share their stories, the just concluded golden Globes Awards held on Sunday, held history as celebrities stormed the red carpets with black sophisticated gowns to show their support against sexual harassment.

    Known for celebrating the best in film and television, this year’s Golden Globe Awards was dominated by one topic: sexual harassment against women.

    Various celebrities arrived at the event on Sunday wearing black in a show of solidarity against the culture of sexual misconduct in the entertainment industry, with several men donning pins in support of the “Time’s Up” initiative.

    First-time host Seth Meyers told the audience as he opened Sunday’s show in Los Angeles, “It’s 2018: marijuana is finally allowed, and sexual harassment finally isn’t,” the NBC “Late Night” host said to applause.

    Capping off the evening as she introduced the night’s biggest prize, the award for Best Motion Picture Drama, singer and actress Barbara Streisand delivered a stirring message to the celebrity-packed room.

    “I’m very proud to stand in the room with people who speak out against gender inequality, sexual harassment, and the pettiness that has poisoned our politics,” she said.

    “I’m proud that our industry, faced with uncomfortable truths, has vowed to change the way we do business.

    Film producer Harvey Weinstein, actor Kevin Spacey and comedian Louis C.K. were just some of the prominent entertainment figures to face allegations of sexual harassment, assault or misconduct last year in a wave of accusations that swept through Hollywood and prompted the #MeToo movement.

    Several winners used their acceptance speeches to address the hot-button issue.

    “For too long, women have not been heard or believed if they dared to speak their truth to the power of those men. But their time is up,” Oprah Winfrey declared as she accepted the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Award. “Their time is up!” Winfrey said to a standing ovation.

    Laura Dern, Best Supporting Actress winner for HBO’s “Big Little Lies,” said: “Many of us were taught not to tattle. It was a culture of silence and that was normalized.”

    “I urge all of us to not only support survivors and bystanders who are brave enough to tell their truth, but to promote restorative justice. May we also please protect and employ them. May we teach our children that speaking out without the fear of retribution is our culture’s new north star,” Dern said during an emotional speech.

    Nicole Kidman, who also picked up a Golden Globe for her role in “Big Little Lies,” told the audience: “I do believe and I hope we can elicit change through the stories we tell and the way we tell them. Let’s keep the conversation alive.”

    “Handmaid’s Tale” actress Elisabeth Moss, who won in the Best Actress in a TV Drama category, quoted the author of the book that inspired the apocalyptic Hulu series.

    Afterward, she said: “Margaret Atwood this is for you and all the women who came before you and after you, who were brave enough to speak out against intolerance and injustice, and to fight for equality and freedom in this world.”

    Last week, a bevy of A-list actresses — including Reese Witherspoon, Ashley Judd and Natalie Portman, among others — writers and female entertainment execs announced the creation of “Time’s Up,” an initiative aimed at combating systemic sexual harassment.

    Many actors and actresses also participated in a sartorial show of force at the awards ceremony, opting to wear black in support of “Time’s Up,” and as form of silent protest against sexual harassment in Hollywood and beyond.

    Another highlight of the night was the profound speech, of the world’s most influential woman Oprah Winfrey; the media mogul’s acceptance of the career honor defined the evening more assuredly than Seth Meyers’ able if understated performance as host, or any other moment in the three-hour, eight-minute broadcast.

    Thundering through a speech that cut through the perfume of self-congratulation and social justice-as-accessorizing, Winfrey hit the pause button to remind the audience just how much work still needs to be done. She acknowledged the awe-inspiring power inherent to standing on that stage, describing how she felt at seeing Sidney Poitier accept such recognition so many years ago. Without pretentiousness, she recognized what seeing her occupy that same rare air meant to younger women determined to take their shot in a world that long has stacked the deck against them.

    Then Winfrey used her power to invoke the name of a black woman unknown to most: the main subject of the 2017 documentary “The Rape of Recy Taylor.” Briefly recounting the story of her case, Winfrey explained that in 1944 Taylor was walking home from a church service when she was abducted by six armed white men, raped, and left by the side of the road.

    Through the NAACP and the efforts of Rosa Parks, Taylor sought justice that was denied her but, Winfrey revealed, she died 10 days ago, shortly before her 98th birthday.

    “She lived, as we have lived, too many years in a culture broken by brutally powerful men,” Winfrey said. “For too long women have not been heard or believed if they dared to speak their truth to the power of those men. But their time is up. Their time is up.”

    Has the Globes ever been capable of genuinely moving viewers to tears? If so, it’s been a long while. Expecting Winfrey to deliver a rousing oration is reasonable, but the level of emotional release sparked by her words felt unprecedented and necessary. Entertainment industry visibility has been crucial to maintaining the momentum of #MeToo and keeping the conversation about gender inequity alive and top-of-mind, but Winfrey employed her singular talent for bridging privilege and fame to everyday people, cementing the night’s efforts as something more than simply fashion. Her gratitude at the honor bestowed upon her was exceeded only by her honest deference to the labors of all women who quietly keep going while enduring abuse, “because they, like my mother, had children to feed and bills to pay and dreams to pursue.”

    It was entirely in line with an evening that balanced the completely expected with a few moments that were refreshingly unpredictable, starting with the symbolic sartorial blackout for the Globes red carpet and ending with Natalie Portman’s sucker punch to the nards in the wake of Winfrey’s speech. As if she knew people wondered how anyone could follow that tour de force, Portman introduced the Best Director category at Ron Howard’s side by way of brightly stating, “And here are the all-male nominees!” with wicked precision. “The Shape of Water” director Guillermo Del Toro won the category this year, but Portman won the sisterhood for the foreseeable future.

    That also means Winfrey was the only woman of color to go home last night with an individual honor from the HFPA.

    Sunday night’s telecast of the awards exemplified everything great and awkward about the industry’s highly publicized efforts to confront the surge of sexual harassment scandal and embrace the age of #MeToo.

    As planned and well-publicized, the pre-show couture parade of black gowns, many relatively demure in comparison to past showings, provided a respectable show of solidarity with the embattled women of the world.

    Social media captured it under the umbrella of #WhyWeWearBlack, part of supporting the recently established ‘Time’s Up initiative’, a celebrity-backed effort dedicated to confronting abuse of power and promoting equality in the workplace.

    Several nominees brought activists as guests, notably Meryl Streep, who walked the carpet the director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Ai-jen Poo, and Michelle Williams, who was joined by #MeToo founder and civil rights activist Tarana Burke.

  • Celebs wear black to protest sexual harassment at Golden Globes

    Celebs wear black to protest sexual harassment at Golden Globes

    With the ongoing reports on sexual harassment, which have had many popular faces emerged to share their stories, the just concluded golden Globes Awards held on Sunday, held history as celebrities stormed the red carpets with black sophisticated gowns to show their support against sexual harassment.

    Known for celebrating the best in film and television, this year’s Golden Globe Awards was dominated by one topic: sexual harassment against women.

    Various celebrities arrived at the event on Sunday wearing black in a show of solidarity against the culture of sexual misconduct in the entertainment industry, with several men donning pins in support of the “Time’s Up” initiative.

    First-time host Seth Meyers told the audience as he opened Sunday’s show in Los Angeles, “It’s 2018: marijuana is finally allowed, and sexual harassment finally isn’t,” the NBC “Late Night” host said to applause.

    Capping off the evening as she introduced the night’s biggest prize, the award for Best Motion Picture Drama, singer and actress Barbara Streisand delivered a stirring message to the celebrity-packed room.

    “I’m very proud to stand in the room with people who speak out against gender inequality, sexual harassment, and the pettiness that has poisoned our politics,” she said.

    “I’m proud that our industry, faced with uncomfortable truths, has vowed to change the way we do business.

    Film producer Harvey Weinstein, actor Kevin Spacey and comedian Louis C.K. were just some of the prominent entertainment figures to face allegations of sexual harassment, assault or misconduct last year in a wave of accusations that swept through Hollywood and prompted the #MeToo movement.

    Several winners used their acceptance speeches to address the hot-button issue.

    “For too long, women have not been heard or believed if they dared to speak their truth to the power of those men. But their time is up,” Oprah Winfrey declared as she accepted the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Award. “Their time is up!” Winfrey said to a standing ovation.

    Laura Dern, Best Supporting Actress winner for HBO’s “Big Little Lies,” said: “Many of us were taught not to tattle. It was a culture of silence and that was normalized.”

    “I urge all of us to not only support survivors and bystanders who are brave enough to tell their truth, but to promote restorative justice. May we also please protect and employ them. May we teach our children that speaking out without the fear of retribution is our culture’s new north star,” Dern said during an emotional speech.

    Nicole Kidman, who also picked up a Golden Globe for her role in “Big Little Lies,” told the audience: “I do believe and I hope we can elicit change through the stories we tell and the way we tell them. Let’s keep the conversation alive.”

    “Handmaid’s Tale” actress Elisabeth Moss, who won in the Best Actress in a TV Drama category, quoted the author of the book that inspired the apocalyptic Hulu series.

    Afterward, she said: “Margaret Atwood this is for you and all the women who came before you and after you, who were brave enough to speak out against intolerance and injustice, and to fight for equality and freedom in this world.”

    Last week, a bevy of A-list actresses — including Reese Witherspoon, Ashley Judd and Natalie Portman, among others — writers and female entertainment execs announced the creation of “Time’s Up,” an initiative aimed at combating systemic sexual harassment.

    Many actors and actresses also participated in a sartorial show of force at the awards ceremony, opting to wear black in support of “Time’s Up,” and as form of silent protest against sexual harassment in Hollywood and beyond.

    Another highlight of the night was the profound speech, of the world’s most influential woman Oprah Winfrey; the media mogul’s acceptance of the career honor defined the evening more assuredly than Seth Meyers’ able if understated performance as host, or any other moment in the three-hour, eight-minute broadcast.

    Thundering through a speech that cut through the perfume of self-congratulation and social justice-as-accessorizing, Winfrey hit the pause button to remind the audience just how much work still needs to be done. She acknowledged the awe-inspiring power inherent to standing on that stage, describing how she felt at seeing Sidney Poitier accept such recognition so many years ago. Without pretentiousness, she recognized what seeing her occupy that same rare air meant to younger women determined to take their shot in a world that long has stacked the deck against them.

    Then Winfrey used her power to invoke the name of a black woman unknown to most: the main subject of the 2017 documentary “The Rape of Recy Taylor.” Briefly recounting the story of her case, Winfrey explained that in 1944 Taylor was walking home from a church service when she was abducted by six armed white men, raped, and left by the side of the road.

    Through the NAACP and the efforts of Rosa Parks, Taylor sought justice that was denied her but, Winfrey revealed, she died 10 days ago, shortly before her 98th birthday.

    “She lived, as we have lived, too many years in a culture broken by brutally powerful men,” Winfrey said. “For too long women have not been heard or believed if they dared to speak their truth to the power of those men. But their time is up. Their time is up.”

    Has the Globes ever been capable of genuinely moving viewers to tears? If so, it’s been a long while. Expecting Winfrey to deliver a rousing oration is reasonable, but the level of emotional release sparked by her words felt unprecedented and necessary. Entertainment industry visibility has been crucial to maintaining the momentum of #MeToo and keeping the conversation about gender inequity alive and top-of-mind, but Winfrey employed her singular talent for bridging privilege and fame to everyday people, cementing the night’s efforts as something more than simply fashion. Her gratitude at the honor bestowed upon her was exceeded only by her honest deference to the labors of all women who quietly keep going while enduring abuse, “because they, like my mother, had children to feed and bills to pay and dreams to pursue.”

    It was entirely in line with an evening that balanced the completely expected with a few moments that were refreshingly unpredictable, starting with the symbolic sartorial blackout for the Globes red carpet and ending with Natalie Portman’s sucker punch to the nards in the wake of Winfrey’s speech. As if she knew people wondered how anyone could follow that tour de force, Portman introduced the Best Director category at Ron Howard’s side by way of brightly stating, “And here are the all-male nominees!” with wicked precision. “The Shape of Water” director Guillermo Del Toro won the category this year, but Portman won the sisterhood for the foreseeable future.

    That also means Winfrey was the only woman of color to go home last night with an individual honor from the HFPA.

    Sunday night’s telecast of the awards exemplified everything great and awkward about the industry’s highly publicized efforts to confront the surge of sexual harassment scandal and embrace the age of #MeToo.

    As planned and well-publicized, the pre-show couture parade of black gowns, many relatively demure in comparison to past showings, provided a respectable show of solidarity with the embattled women of the world.

    Social media captured it under the umbrella of #WhyWeWearBlack, part of supporting the recently established ‘Time’s Up initiative’, a celebrity-backed effort dedicated to confronting abuse of power and promoting equality in the workplace.

    Several nominees brought activists as guests, notably Meryl Streep, who walked the carpet the director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Ai-jen Poo, and Michelle Williams, who was joined by #MeToo founder and civil rights activist Tarana Burke.

  • Protest at ritualist’s den in Edo

    Commercial motorcyclists in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State, and youths have protested the presence of a ritualist den at a forest in a boundary between Ogheghe and Egbaen villages.

    Both villages are located on the Benin-Iguobazuwa road.

    The Okada riders set up a barricade after the body of one of their colleagues was found dead in the bush.

    They were said to have identified a suspect, who hired the dead colleague two days earlier.

    When the suspect requested another Okada rider, The Nation learnt that the riders followed the suspect and cornered him when he was about entering the bush.

    A source said together with some youths, the riders beat up the suspect.

    He was said to have taken them to where he dumped the body and named other accomplices, including a birth attendant.

    Policemen prevented the mob from lynching the suspect.

    Some witnesses said the bush was filled with dead bodies and clothing.

    One of them, Felix Okhuogha, said he saw decomposed bodies and skeletons when he joined a search party into the bush.

    His words: “I was in my store one day when somebody came to tell me that he saw a man tied down in the bush. We went there and saw the man who I later discovered to be a brother to my landlord.

    “I asked him what happened, he said a man tied him at gun point and took his motorcycle away. I brought him to the road and allowed him to explain to people.

    “I saw dead bodies inside the bush. It was terrible. The whole place was smelling. The police should do something about it.”

    A motorcyclist, who pleaded anonymity, said they decided to comb the bush following several incidents of missing persons.

    “Our people are missing everyday. On Saturday, we entered the bush and found the body of a man that was missing four days ago. The man we caught has killed many.’’

    Commissioner of Police Babatunde Kokumo said the suspect was arrested in connection to murder and not ritual killing.

    Kokumo said that the suspect would have been lynched, if the police had not acted swiftly.

    He said there was nothing like ritual killing.

    “There was nothing like mass killing in Egor. No bodies have been seen. The police arrested a suspect for murder and we are doing further investigation,” he said.

  • Benue youths protest killings

    Benue youths protest killings

    There was a huge protest in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, yesterday. It was to condemn Tuesday’s attacks on some farmers in Guma and Logo Local Government Areas. Twenty people died and 30 others were injured in the attacks.

    President Muhammadu Buhari, who yesterday described the killings by suspected herdsmen as reprehensible, ordered that the perpetrators be brought to book.

    In a statement by his Media Adviser Garba Shehu, the President said he was saddened by  the “wicked and callous” attacks on innocent people and children.

    He assured Governor Samuel  Ortom and Benue people that security agencies had been directed to arrest the killers.

    He said:  ”This is one attack too many; and everything must be done to provide security for the people in our rural communities.”

    President Buhari also commiserated with the families of the victims and wished the injured speedy healing.

    The protesters on Makurdi streets carried placards bearing inscriptions, such as “presidential intervention needed” and “stop this incessant bloodbath”.

    Some of the protesters, who were screaming, said the Federal Government should intervene and stop the madness.

    The protesters, mostly youths, barricaded most of the routes leading in and out of the state.

    The protest, started by National Union of  Benue State Students (NUBESS), began with a peaceful procession from  the second gate of the Benue State University, Makurdi .

    When it got to Wurukum roundabout, some hoodlums hijacked it

    They made bonfire and prevented vehicles from passing through the major roads.

    There was traffic gridlock in Makurdi for almost 12 hours.

    The leader of the protesters, Mr Angu Orngu, told The Nation that they were marching against the killings of Tiv farmers by those they called Fulani herdsmen .

    They vowed to remain on the streets until the arrest of the killers.

    Ortom was prevented from addressing the protesters. Security aides whisked him away as the protesters became unruly when he tried to speak to them.

    The governor has vowed to continue to implement the anti open grazing law in spite of resistance.

    Mr Terhemen Anum told NAN that following the killings, “no one has spoken from high places”.

    Another resident, Ruth Agba, said there was evidence that the gunmen killed some farmers, burnt down their homes and destroyed their farms, crops.

    Agba said the attackers’ mode of operation was not differ from Boko Haram terrorists.

    The attack is the first this year. In 2017, over 20 attacks were recorded.

  • Drivers protest colleague’s death in Abuja

    Drivers protest colleague’s death in Abuja

    Taxi drivers in Wuse/Lugbe, Abuja, have protested the death of their colleague in the hands of a member of the FCT Joint Taskforce.

    The angry drivers blocked roads leading to the market.

    One of them, who pleaded for anonymity, said the deceased sat in his vehicle with his wife; he was not loading passengers.

    “It happened about 9.30-10 am. The deceased and his wife were in his car; they wanted to take their baby to hospital. The car was not parked on the road.

    “Immediately the task force team arrived, one of them opened the car door, entered and arrested him for no offence. They beat him up and the other task force man shot the man.

    “When drivers began to gather and block roads, they carried the body into their Hilux van and drove off. That is why we came out to say they will have to kill all of us.”

    Another driver, who also pleaded for anonymity, said: “They are molesting us in our country. This morning (yesterday), they killed a driver without provocation, which is why we are now protesting that no more task force.

    “They will just run up to you when loading your vehicle, grab your keys and arrest you unlawfully. They will take you to their office and not release you until you beg them with N6,500.”

    The deceased’s siblings gave his name as Tony Zugaba. His elder sister, said: “The person they killed is my younger brother, he is our last born. I want to see him to be sure. I don’t know what happened; I only had a call to come. Make una help me oh, I want to see my brother please.

    Secretary of Transport Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory (FCTA) Kayode Opeifa, in a telephone interview, said nobody died, but one of the drivers, who resisted arrest, was injured and has been handed over to the police.

    “From information available to me, there was no death recorded,” he said.

    The police said none died and none was injured in the protest.

    A statement by spokesman, Anjuguri Manzah, said normalcy has been restored to the area, adding that hoodlums trying to take advantage of the situation have been arrested.

    The statement reads: “The police command assures the people that normalcy has been restored at Wuse and its environs, following a misunderstanding between operatives of the Directorate of Road Transport Services (VIO) Task Force and cab operators close to Wuse market.

    “The command reiterates its commitment to protect life and property in the FCT, and urges the people to always follow the right channel in expressing their grievances instead of resorting to self-help and causing damage to property.”

    “Contrary to speculations, no life was lost and no one was injured in the fracas. The situation has also been brought under control.”

  • NLC President leads protest against sack of teachers in Kaduna

    NLC President leads protest against sack of teachers in Kaduna

    ….assembly properties vandalised by protesters – Speaker

     

    The Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC ), President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba on Wednesday led workers on streets protest in Kaduna State capital, against plan by the state government to sack 21,780 teachers.

    Meanwhile, the protest which terminated at the state House of Assembly left some properties within the assembly complex destroyed.

    The protesting workers demanded that, the government should rescind its decision or have the entire labour force to contend with.

    Marching and singing anti government song along major roads in the state capital, and carrying placards with various inscriptions, the workers asked the Kaduna state government not to sack the teachers for failing to pass the competency test administered on them sometime in June this year.

    They argued that government has no constitutional powers to organize such exam for teachers, saying only the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) has the mandate to do so.

    They also gave the state government two weeks to cancel the planned dismissal of teachers, or they will embark on an indefinite strike.

    Addressing the workers, Mr, Waba assured them that the leadership of the NLC will support them and ensure that they get what they deserve from the state government.

    The Nation gathered that, the protest was jointly organised by the state chapters of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).

    It was also gathered that, NULGE and NUT leaders from 18 states in the North came in solidarity with their colleagues in Kaduna.

    The local government employees, were said to be protesting against the planned sack of about 4000 of their members.

    While the protest was going on in the city center, hundreds of school children were said to have been mobilised at Mararaban Rido where they blocked Kachia road, leaving commuters plying the Kaduna – Kachia road stranded for a long period.

    However, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Aminu Abdullahi Shagali confirmed the destruction of some assembly properties by the protesting workers.

    The Speaker in his official twitter handle, #Rt. Hon Speaker KADAssembly twitted some photographs and videos of the vandalised properties.

    One of the Speaker’s tweets read that, “The NUT protesters are destroying properties of the Kaduna State House of Assembly.

    “The gate of the Kaduna State House of Assembly was destroyed by the protesters against the sack of unqualified primary school teachers”, the Speaker said.

    The Nation recall that the state chapter of NUT had on Monday issued a two weeks ultimatum to Governor Nasir El-Rufai to rescind his government’s decision to sack the 21,780 primary teachers who failed the competency test or face indefinite strike.

    Primary school pupils had also been used in that past two days to protest that government’s decision.

    Meanwhile, the state government had maintained its resolved to sack the 21,780 teachers who failed the competency test, while it has since commenced process to recruit 25,000 new teachers to replace those to be sacked.

    Read Also: Attention, Kaduna Police Commissioner

  • Youths protest Senators’ donation of rice to Kogi civil servants

    Some members of Kogi Youth Movement for Credible Leadership (KYMCL) on Friday staged a protest against the alleged donation of 1,260 bags of rice by some Senators to civil servants in Kogi.

    The protest was carried out along the Abuja-Lokoja highway causing gridlock as the youths trooped into the expressway for about an hour to express their displeasure over the donation.

    Mustapha Abdullahi, the KYMCL President in Lokoja, expressed disappointment over the attitude of some Senators, headed by a Senator Representing Kogi West Senatorial District on the floor of the Senate on Oct. 25.

    He expressed concern that one of the actions of the Senators representing the state could  drag the image of Kogi in the murky mud of politics.

  • Protest in Ondo over alleged land dispute

    Protest in Ondo over alleged land dispute

    Residents of Oka in Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State yesterday protested what they called incessant activities of land grabbers in the town.

    They said the traditional ruler, Olusegun Adegoju, the Oloja, and some prominent indigenes recently requested the original documents of their landed property.

    The protesters marched round major streets and converged on the palace of the Osemawe of Ondo, where they expressed their grievances to the frontline monarch.

    Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Mr. Julius Akinmuyise said they staged the protest to draw the attention of the Osemawe as well as Oloka to the matter.

    They urged the Osemawe to intervene in the matter and ensure that peace returns to the community.

    Oba Kiladejo promised to convene an emergency meeting of the Osemawe-in-Council to address the matter.

    The monarch urged the protesters to be calm and patient.

    He assured them that a lasting solution would soon be found to the matter.

    Oba Adegoju denied the allegations levelled against him.

    He promised to convene a stakeholders’ meeting to address land-related matters.

     

  • Students protest rocks Ogun over rot in education sector

    Students protest rocks Ogun over rot in education sector

    • We’re committed to quality education, says Amosun

    Thousands of students under the aegis of National Association of Nigerian Students(NANS) spilled into roads in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, in protest over what they considered as “rot in the state’s education sector.”

    The protesting students who took off with their protest from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation mega station, Abiola Way in the morning, poured into the IBB Boulevard where they later branch off to the Governor’s Office, Oke – Mosan, demanding to see him.

    And bearing placards with the inscription “Rescue Ogun State Education Campaign,” “Save Ogun State education, ” ” Education must survive” and “MAPOLY must survive” among others, urged Governor Ibikunle Amosun to quickly halt the unsavoury trend.

    The chairman of Ogun NANS, Comrade Olawale Balogun, told Amosun that the students were not happy with the state of education in the state.

    Olawale cited delay in the take off of the examination of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, (MAPOLY) Abeokuta, as an issue if not urgently addressed could affect the career of the students.

    Olawale also said the association was not comfortable with the cancellation of the payment of the West Africa Examination Council(WAEC) fee for secondary school students, adding that they equally frowned at the recent hike in the Acceptance Fees being paid by new entrants into the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye.

    The students also demanded a categorical statement from the Governor regarding the status of MAPOLY, in the light of its metamorphosizing into Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology as well as the creation of the Ogun State Polytechnic, Ipokia.

    But responding, Amosun said MAPOLY has gone into extinction with its upgrade to a university status, explaining that the institution would still be in existence for the next four years.

    Amosun who blamed the institution’s lecturers for the delay in students examinations, said his administration remained committed to improving the standard of education in the state.

    “I am not happy because this my school. What is happening today is because those that have been given the privilege to serve us are not serving well.

    “Everybody here (current MAPOLY students) will finish their courses, it will take four years before MAPOLY will go into extinction. You are not going to Ipokia . If the lecturers don’t want that, we will sort them out.

    “We will sought for new lecturers for the university and the new poly. MAPOLY lecturers are not comfortable with it, I said the appointment they have is for MAPOLY, for the new university, they will have to reapply. If they are qualified, they can take them.

    “I will ask the Commissioner to meet with the academic union of the the institution. We are only admitting ND 1. We are not admitting any student into MAPOLY. We are not sacking anybody, we are not taking them automatically. Why should we carry another place problem to new one.

    “We are only admitting ND 1. If you have carryover, you are going to Ipokia. I told them (management) don’t admit new students into MAPOLY,” Amosun said.

  • Imo to immortalise 10-year-old victim of Owerri market protest

    •Douglass Road, new project to be renamed after victim

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha yesterday said the famous Douglas Road, where the demolished Eke-Ukwu Owerri Market was located, as well as any other project that will be built on the plot of land, will be renamed after Somtochukwu Ibeanusi, the 10-year-old boy who was killed by a stray bullet during the demolition.

    He said the exact place the boy was killed did not matter because the government had decided to honour him, though the circumstances were confusing.

    Okorocha, who spoke at the Government House in Owerri, the state capital, when he hosted traditional rulers and leaders of Owerri, said he had been able to “liberate the people of Owerri from a wicked clique made up of one or two families that had held Owerri people in bondage”.

    He said: “Government has decided to honour Somtochukwu, although the boy’s death was confusing because an action can’t be taking place on Douglas Road and the person died on Mbaise Road.

    “No matter what happened, whatever be the case, since that boy died within that period of liberation, that boy must be honoured. This is besides the fact that Owerri leaders are mourning him, wore black, even to Catholic and Anglican churches. And if Owerri leaders can mourn a boy from Nnewi, Anambra State, that shows there is something great about that boy.

    “For every activity at Ekeukwu and on Douglas Road, the boy will be honoured. This is because he died on the day of the event. That boy is more important than any Eke or Afor, Ekeukwu or Ekenta.

    “So, Douglas Road and any project to be sited there will be named after Somtochukwu. The project will be named Somtochukwu and the road, Somtochukwu Road, in line with the way all of us are mourning that boy. I will not go back to a deity again by naming it Ekeukwu Road. Imo State has gone past that level.”

    He added: “They (political opponents) are fighting me because I have liberated our people. What do I benefit by building a township school, rebuilding Emmanuel College, Akwakuma Girls School, Government College, Government Technical College, Owerri Girls School, inland roads, ICC, trade and investment centre, two flyovers, two tunnels, heroes’ square, roads?

    “What do I benefit as Rochas Okorocha, if not for the development of Owerri? No governor has done, in the history of Owerri, what I have done for Owerri people? My crime is that I have liberated you people from bondage…”